sedici giorno

Friday, May 20, 2011

GET THIS!

Last night our study-abroad-fam was walking to dinner and we pulled over on this little side street to have a chat about our plans for the next day. We were on the most random street in Florence minding our own business when all of a sudden some guy came frantically running up to those of us with our cameras out and yelled, “Put your cameras away! No flash photography, please!!!” We were all so confused. We’re used to getting yelled at for using cameras in the museums, but it made no sense why we were getting in trouble for using them in public. Then, it became clear…

Cameras were rolling and it was obvious that something was being filmed. My mind flashed back to months before we even left for Italy and I found out that the cast of Jersey Shore was going to be in Florence filming the next season. I remember telling Amy and Kiahna and we joked around about finding them and being on the show. My legs turned to jello and adrenaline began pulsing through my veins as I snapped back to reality… At an arm’s distance away, I saw the 3 main stars on MTV’s Reality TV show: Vinny, Pauly D, and Snookie. They were walking RIGHT in front of us and the cameras were rolling. OH MY GOOOOOOSH! We all froze for a split second (Seriously, is this real life??) and then Amy and I looked at each other with the exact same thought running through our heads as we grabbed each other’s hands and started running after them!

We pushed through the crowds and made our way through to the cast. I literally could have kissed each and every one of them! That’s how close I was! All the Italians were gathering around and were all asking what they were filming; the police just kept saying, “It’s an American TV show, don’t worry about it.” And we yelled… “We’re AMERICAN!!!” We knew exactly what they were filming! I don’t even like Jersey Shore and I was nothing short of freaking out. I constantly made fun of Snookie during the previous seasons and here I was practically kissing the ground she walks on! I guess seeing any celebrity in real life turns the tables a little bit… For a moment there, I almost thought I was her biggest fan! I even had myself fooled!

They were walking down a small street of a bunch of little shops and a group of us girls had made it into the doorway of a store right in their path. It was the perfect spot for my newfound paparazzi talent. Vinny and Pauly D walked right past us and we made some magical eye contact. Apparently we were standing in the doorway of the store they wanted to go into, so right after I snapped a close-up of Snookie, she turned to us girls and said (in her trashy Jersey accent), “Back up, b*tches!”

It. Was. AWESOME!

How many people can say that THE “Snookie” called them a biotch and told them to back up!? Okay, she has an attitude, so probably a lot… But, still… She had a magical way of making us all feel special. I’d be her biotch any day!

Keep in mind: The cameras were rolling! There’s a pretty good chance that we might end up on an episode of this seasons Jersey Shore! Looking back, I wish we would’ve done something to draw a little more attention, like fist pump or chant “GTL” (Refer to YouTube or Google, if needed), so we would’ve had a better chance of turning the heads of the camera man. Either way, you better believe I’ll be a faithful follower of this wretched series now! I have officially been baptized in the religion of Jersey Shore! I am a believer! GTL!

It’s hard to say whether this memorable event made anything else pale in comparison OR if it gave me that umph and passion I needed to recharge my worn-out batteries. Regardless, it is by far my favorite thing that has happened in Italy. Is that horrible of me to say? Here I am, with the Colosseum and Sistine Chapel under my belt and nothing has made me quite as emotional as witnessing the filming of the Florence season of Jersey Shore!

Phew… Do I really feel compelled to tell you anything about the last 24 hours other than that?? No, not really. Believe me, nothing compares!

BUT, I’ll prove I’m being studious on my study abroad by telling you about all the scholastic things we did today.

We were up before the sun to catch a train to Ravenna. Ravenna is a little city about 2.5 hours away and I was expecting BIG things for me to be awake so early. We stepped off the train and it looked like a ghost town. The only thing missing were tumbleweeds and saloon doors rattling in the whistling breeze. This place was desolate! After a few minutes, I realized it’s probably a lot like Springville… but after being caught up in the hustle and bustle of Rome and Florence the peace and quiet is more like an awkward silence.

We had the entire day to spend in Ravenna so we were able to take a slower pace and relax a little bit. We learned about a few different churches and some baptisteries. The first church we visited today was called the San Vitale Church and it is one of the most beautiful churches I’ve seen since we’ve been here… And that’s saying A LOT because we’ve seen a butt-load of churches! Every last inch was covered in mosaics of colored stone and gold foil. I could’ve gawked at it much longer if my neck wasn’t so kinked from staring at all the art and decoration above eye-level.

It amazes me how much time and money these people put into their churches. Especially when you compare them to our LDS churches at home. Ours are so simple and modest and allow the focus to be on the lessons and the spirit. I have no idea how I’d find time to listen when I was so busy drooling over every last ornate detail of the chapel!

(Am I allowed to end this on a spiritual note after rambling on and on about the trashiest TV show in America? Haha!)

We were given a two hour break to explore the town and grab some lunch. I bought lunch today for only my second time this entire trip! Mom, you’d be so proud of how frugal I’m being with my money! You’d think I spent half my childhood watching you coupon-clip or something! J I took out 160 Euros at the ATM when we first got here and I still have 110 left! I think I may take home the title of cheapest study abroad student ever! (I’ll be expecting a Chug in the fridge for that!) A majority of the people here have already spent over 2-300 Euros and I’m just barely pushing 50! I really limited myself the first 2 weeks so I would be able to take advantage of all the fun (expensive) opportunities later in the trip… like a weekend getaway to Cinque Terre (Google that, I’m serious! It’s beautiful!), and riding the gondolas in Venice. I think I’m driving everyone nuts with how anal I am about spending money. It’s getting to the point where I have to remind myself I’m in Italy living a once in a lifetime opportunity and sometimes it’s okay to spend money if it means memories. I need to find that happy medium between regretting spending too much (I’m far from that side of the spectrum) and regretting missing out on too much from letting myself spend enough.

ANYWAYS…

It’s been the longest day of my entire life. We were out and about for over 14 hours! I am so ready for bed… Mostly because that means when I wake up I get to eat CEREAL! I love this hotel for that reason and that reason alone. It’s not even good cereal… I’d throw a fit if it were in our pantry at home. But I’m desperate here and will take what I can get!

Guess what?

I LOVE YOU GUYS!

Guess what else?

I’ll see you in 2 WEEKS from TODAY! Yeeeeeah buddy!

Love from the Mediterranean,

Wit

quindici giorni

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

I went on a rollercoaster!

…Of emotions.

Where do I begin?

I’ve been having a hard time out here for the last few days. I have no idea what it was, but something last week triggered a flood of emotions. I just woke up one morning and felt nothing like myself. For the next five days or so, I was in a funk. I was homesick all the time. I had an anxious pit in my stomach. I was stressing about every little thing that I have no control over outside of Italy. I was not myself. I was quiet, kept to myself, reserved, and ultimately pulled myself away from the group. It was awful. No matter what I did or what I told myself, I could not figure out how to get over it. I just felt sick and weighed down no matter what. I was a basket case. Plus, it was all escalated by the fact that it made me more frustrated knowing that I was wasting precious time and money by being unhappy, yet I was trapped in it and couldn’t find a way out. I have never felt so sad, lonely, anxious, or stressed out.

Last night I had a meltdown. I’m pretty sure it was a full on panic attack. I was so overwhelmed with all the decisions to be made at home with the wedding and moving and school; I wasn’t at home near people who could help me or comfort me; I was sick of being sad and anti-social; I was sick of feeling bad for myself! Everything just built up and I had no idea what to do. So, with tears streaming down my face, I climbed to the top floor of the hotel, knocked on room 27, and asked Steve to give me a blessing. He has been worried about me the entire trip and has kept me under his wing just because knows everything that’s going on at home he was nervous about me leaving behind a fiancé and wedding plans. He asks me a few times a week if how I’m doing and if I’m hanging in there. He’s a bishop in a young married adult ward, so he has some experience in this sort of stuff. He asked me what exactly was bothering me and if I noticed anything that triggered the anxiety and homesickness. He gave me a lot of great advice; both pertaining to the issues I was facing and just life in general. It talked some sense into me and helped me calm down a little bit and then he gave me a blessing. He specifically blessed me that I would get a good night’s rest and that when I woke up those painful feelings of anxiety would be gone and I would be able to be myself and enjoy the rest of the trip with the help of the spirit and a prayer in my heart.

I woke up this morning and with a little positive self-talk and a prayer, I began a wonderful day! Today has been great! I'm feel like myself again! Of course, none of the things I was stressing about have gone anywhere... But I know there's nothing I can do about it til I get home and it's not worth ruining my trip. I feel so so so much better. I'm not as homesick. I'm happier and have more energy. It feels SO good! I'm sooo prone to stressing myself out to the point that I lose sleep or make myself sick. It's a horrible trait, but luckily I have the priesthood to help me get over it. I am so thankful for the priesthood and that we have a worthy priesthood holder on this trip to turn to for help. It is seriously such a blessing. Steve is one of the greatest guys I have ever met and I am so grateful for him. I’m not sure how things would have turned out if I wasn’t able to receive that blessing.

Today has been a much better day! A good attitude and Florence make a great team. Plus, I knew it was going to be a great day when our hotel served us COLD CEREAL for breakfast!!! I’ve been craving that so bad for weeks. It’s the one food I keep drooling about eating once I get home! Haha!

We took a bus to a point that overlooked all of Florence. It was an incredible view. For miles and miles all you can see is a valley of red roofs surrounded by lush, green rolling hills. You can see the massive dome of the Florence Cathedral and the bell tower rising far above the other buildings. It was breath-taking.

After coming back into town, we learned about the Cathedral of Florence, the Florentine Baptistry and its famous doors called the Gates of Paradise, and the cathedral museum.

As we’re sitting throughout the town listening to Steve and taking notes, random tourists come and take pictures of us. It’s the weirdest thing! Of course, most of them are Asian and take pictures of just about everything, so it’s understandable. Some people make it obvious and come straight to the front of the group and make some sort of light-hearted comment in their native language and snap a picture of us while others stand lingering back in the crowds of people and sneak a pic. It’s so bizarre! We’ve noticed it the entire time we’ve been here and have yet to figure out why we seem to be such a photo-op!

In our free time, we explored the world famous Florentine Market. It’s shops of leather purses, wallets, shoes, and jackets, scarves, ties, jewelry, t-shirts, and all other kinds of souvenirs. It winds through blocks and blocks of countless streets. It’s massive! It’s a lot like the swap meet in Hawaii. Not quite the bargains I was expecting, but it’s a great place to window shop. (I’m still trying to get used to that!)

We were walking through the market when all of a sudden a little Italian man looked at me and screamed, “BRITNEY SPEARS!!!” I was so caught off guard and I looked around to see what he was yelling about, only to see him reach out a hand and give me a huge high-five. Apparently, Disneyland isn’t where dreams come true… my childhood dream of being Britney Spears was just fulfilled in Florence, Italy! How funny is that!?

I love you guys!

I’ll see you soon!

Wit

quattordici giorni

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

After a long day of hauling my over-packed suitcases all over hell and back, I’m sitting in my room in Florence and thinking to myself:

Rome, who? Florence, you have my heart!!!

Amy, Lindsey, and I woke up at the butt-crack of dawn and took our last run to the Vatican. I’ve never wanted to stay in bed so bad in my life! And that’s saying a lot considering it’s a battle to get myself out of bed every day. I was so tired and exhausted and our room is always so cold and dark in the mornings. It was so worth waking up early though. We were able to see all the people setting up their markets and opening their shops. It wasn’t quite as busy, so we were finally able to enjoy Rome in some semi-peace and quiet! (Granted, that still probably sounds like Springville during Art City Days!) It was a perfect way to bid farewell to our home for the last two weeks.

We packed up all our things and walked a few blocks to catch the metro that would take us to the train station. Envision, if you can, my 50 pound suitcase (that is one of the largest of the group) in one hand and my carry-on in the other trying to get up and down stairs as fast as I could to keep up with the group. It was insane! We were lucky to get escalators a couple times, other than that, we were taking those stairs head-on! I had one suitcase on either side of me and shuffled my weight back-and-forth to move my bags up and down the stairs. I thought for sure my arms were going to yank out of the sockets leaving my hands still clenching white-knuckled to my suitcases like an episode of SpongeBob! I already have blisters on my hands and my arms are SO sore! As painful as it was, it was pretty humorous! In between groans and swear words, we were all laughing so hard.

We finally made it onto the train and I was in and out of sleep the entire 3 hours. As we drove, we passed Tuscany homes spread throughout green rolling hills and long rows of olive trees and vineyards. It was so beautiful. That’s the image I had in my mind when I set out on this trip and I was bummed to see that Rome was nothing like that!

Florence is perfect! I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally be here. I was getting burned out in Rome and desperately needed a change of scenery. Not only is Florence new, but it’s more my style. It’s smaller than Rome and a lot more peaceful and slower paced. We can walk everywhere and don’t have to rely on a metro to get us around. There aren’t quite as many people. It’s a lot cleaner. It has a happy medium between buildings/city-life and nature/scenery. If you can’t tell, Florence and I have hit it off pretty well. I have high hopes for us!

We got to our hotel and unpacked our things for a little bit before Steve split us into teams and sent us on a “scavenger hunt.” He gave us a paper with directions how to get around town with some fill-in-the-blank’s we had to find. It was a great way to wake us up after an exhausting morning and get us acquainted with our new home. It’s beautiful here. I’ll have much more to tell you once we’ve spent time learning about everything, but there are some incredible things here. There’s a gigantic dome that is the heart of Florence and is the main cathedral. You guys, it’s ENORMOUS! It looks like something straight out of the Hunchback of Notre Dame! There’s also a river that runs through the edge of town lined with authentic Italian brightly colored buildings.

I still really miss you guys. Italy is great, but there really is no place like home! I can’t tell you how glad I am that we decided not to stay and travel after. I’m so ready to see you all in a little over 2 weeks!

Arrivederci!

Wit

tredici giorno

Monday, May 16, 2011

Hey fam-damily!

Let me start off by telling you that God must’ve thought I was the most righteous and deserving human in the world… There is no other explanation for how I would end up with the greatest family members on Earth. I am so grateful for you guys and I love you all ‘til the ends of the Earth. Don’t ask me why this has been so hard on me because it’s not the first time I’ve been away from home and it certainly isn’t the longest I’ve been away… But I’ve never wanted to be with you all so bad. Everything I see, I wish I was sharing it with you. I wish we were on a family vacation here. I wish I could have the best of both worlds and have the people I love the most sharing this incredible experience with me! I hope everything is going so great at home. But not too great, or that will make me more homesick. J I love you guys and absolutely cannot wait to see you!

Today was a pretty slow day. We visited a few churches early in the morning and then finished the afternoon off at St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. I was in a funk caught up in how much I miss you guys. Plus, the fact that I haven’t had a second alone with myself in two weeks was starting to get to me. I kept to myself all morning and tried to just shake it off. I called it a day a little early and went back to the hotel room where I could be by myself for a split second and take a nap. I caught something while we were sleeping on the deck the other night… I’ve had a sore throat and cough ever since, so that played a role in my gloomy attitude today, too. Linds lent me some Airborne to help me get over it and I tried to sleep it off. When I woke up, I went for a run and worked out on the deck. The melatonin and endorphins I caught this afternoon helped out a lot and I was able to get back on top of my game. I’m a happy camper again and ready to make the very most of this last half of my trip.

We leave for Florence in the morning. I am so ready to claim some new stomping grounds! Rome is starting to become familiar and repetitive, so I’m excited to get a change of scenery. It’s nice that we’re traveling around because it breaks the month up a little bit and gives us an opportunity to get to know a variety of places like the back of our hands. We leave at 9 in the morning and take a 3.5 hour train ride to Florence… I’m not too thrilled about hauling our luggage to the train station and riding a train for that long, but it’ll be worth it to end up in Florence!

Since it was our last night in Rome, we packed up all our things and then took a walk down to our favorite gelato place in town to bid farewell to our temporary home. Gelato will never get old! I try to monitor how much I eat for the sake of my scale and wallet… But every bite is like heaven on earth. Everyone on the streets is walking around with a cone of gelato, no lie! I was an ice cream addict before this trip and I have a feeling I’m going to have a serious problem when I get home!

We’re waking up early in the morning to run to the Vatican for one last time and watch the sunrise. A perfect way to leave Roma!

Goodnight in Italy and Good afternoon to you all in Utah!

Always and always,

Wit

Nowhere in the world compares to being anywhere with you.




Funny how being in one of the most spectacular places on earth without someone can't hold a candle to being in one of the most unoriginal, mundane places with them. Sometimes it's company that makes all the difference.

dodici giorno

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Happy Sunday to my favorite people in the whole wide world!

It’s been a wonderful Sabbath day here; even though I’m continents away from the people I love the most. I think homesickness hits me hardest on Sundays… I hate knowing that I’m missing out on Sunday dinners with all of you and Mama’s delicious cooking. I’d give anything to spend those few hours of my week with ya’ll. But, this Sunday in Italy came in a close second to our rowdy Sundays at home.

We were able to sleep in a little bit and take the metro to one of the four LDS wards in Rome. Rome is HUGE, yet they only have 4 wards. We have over 10 times that much in itty-bitty Springville! It goes to show how we really take the church for granted at home. Me, at least. I can walk to my chapel, yet these people may travel for hours to take the sacrament. What an example!! Church began at 11:20 and we made it just in time. There were about 10 of us and Steve who attended Sacrament. One of the missionaries in the area sat by us and translated the meeting for us. It was a really unique and special experience. I am so grateful for the opportunity we had to attend church in a different country. The only thing different about their sacrament meeting was the language; everything else was exactly the same. It felt like home. No matter where you go, the church is always the same. It is common ground between people that are so different and who would otherwise have nothing in common. It is such a comfort and a reassurance to see how consistent the gospel is. Whether you’re in Utah, Hawaii, or Rome, it’s all going to be that same strong, familiar foundation. The gospel spans the entire world and reaches into the hearts of all of God’s children. The spirit speaks all languages. No matter where you attend, the church will be the same. That testifies of the truth of our church. The sacrament is blessed the same way, reverence is observed at the same times, talks are given in the same format, hymns are sung to the same tune, we address each other and shake one another’s hands in the same way, the bishopric sits in the same place, and the Priesthood holders pass the sacrament in the same way, and the spirit feels the exact same. Anything that can hold true throughout the entire world is a prophesy to its Lord and leaders. There is absolutely no way this church isn’t true. Funny how sitting through a meeting where I couldn’t understand a single word had such an impact on my testimony.

After church, we came back to the hotel room in the pouring rain, so we danced out on our deck as the warm, Italian rain soaked our skin. Even the rain seems a little bit better in Italy! (Sorry, Portland J)

A group of us girls went into town and grabbed a yummy bite to eat at an authentic Italian restaurant called PizzaRe. The pizza here is so thin and cheesey! They put some of the most unusual toppings on it: eggs, potatoes, whipped cream, or tuna are a few of the peculiar options they offer here. We’re going to have a lot of risks to take on our homemade pizzas when I get home, Mama! The food here (as long as it’s eaten somewhere other than our hotel) is really yummy… But it still doesn’t hold a candle to La Casita or a bowl of cold cereal! Am I set in my ways, or what!?

I hope you guys have a wonderful day and know that I’m thinking about you all the time. How on earth was I blessed with such an amazing family? It will forever remain a mystery to me and I’ll probably never manage to show it just right, but I hope you know you mean the world to me! Thanks for everything!

Love FOR-EV-ER,

Wit

Ps, Mom, I wore the skirt you made me the other day and it was a hit! Not only did I love it, but all the girls in my group loved it too. They all complimented on it and asked me where I got it… I was beaming with pride when I told them that my mom made it. Long story short, it turned out so cute and everyone agrees with me. Thanks so much!

undici giorno

Saturday, May 14, 2011

The beach was to die for today! I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend the day. We were there from about 12 to 3 and then stopped at a little café on the way back to the train. I spent 1.50 Euro on the yummiest slice of pizza ever! It was so worth it to finally get a meal I could enjoy! I think my eyes may have even rolled into the back of my head a couple times… It has been that long without a solid, yummy meal. I’ve about had it with the hotel food, so that authentic Italian pizza slice really hit the spot!

Dinner tonight was awful so Steve took us all out for gelato to make up for it. Mmm. It’s seriously heaven on earth. I get Lemon and White Chocolate every time; they’re my fav! I can’t seem to step out on them to try something new. My loyalty lies with love at first sight!

After gelato, I came home and did my laundry... In the sink! Long story short, one thing lead to another, and I ended up with some new clothes! I accidently and absent-mindedly washed my tie-dyed shirt with my other clothes and my once-white shirt is now blue and my yellow running tank is now green. Oh the joys of being domestic. All I can say is that I know why God didn’t make me a boy and never sent me on a mission to a third world country. Oh and that Gage and I better find an apartment with a washer and dryer or we’re going to have some wardrobe tragedies for the books! It took me over an hour to wash just my underwear, pajamas, and work-out clothes… And I’m pretty sure I’m going to be sore tomorrow. Gold’s has never worked my arms the way the wet clothes in that bathroom sink did! Hand-washed laundry officially kicked my trash!

I almost died on the subway the other day. After a week of using the germ-infested bars to stabilize myself, I thought I could roll like a big-shot and ride with no hands! Obviously, I spoke too soon when I had my feet planted on the floor but we took a swift corner and my weight was shifted. Now, you’ve got to understand how many people there are packed in these trains. And how dirty and smelly they all are. We’re packed like sardines… And the locals smell like sardines, too! I lost my balance and reached for the bar above my head, but missed and was falling straight into Kiahna, who was sitting right below the bar. Kiahna was too busy hysterically laughing to help me, so I landed straight on top of her before there was another quick turn in the opposite direction that had me flailing my arms and shuffling on my feet backwards into a seated row of people who were neither nice nor clean. I don’t remember this, but Lindsey brought it to my attention that I spent the whole time yelling, “Shit! Shit! Shit!” as I was being flung around the metro. I seriously don’t ever remember being so afraid. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, this old, hairy man in a trench coat started pushing through the crowd toward me. He grabbed me just seconds before I bathed in Italian sweat and pummeled over some burley looking women. No kidding, his arm appeared out of nowhere and picked me up and set me down steady again. My face was bright read and I was so embarrassed. I thanked him a million times and he just kept saying, “It can be dangerous.” Every pair of eyes on that train was on me. I’ve spent the last 10 days trying to get the snooty people of Italy to crack a smile and have had no luck. No matter how many times I make eye contact with them and smile, I never saw the slightest hint of friendliness or affection. After my tragedy that day, every boring, impersonal Italian was smiling and laughing at me. I guess you need to be careful what you wish for! I was the center of attention and they were all amused. It took a while for my heart-beat to slow down and my flushed face to simmer. As embarrassed as I was, we were all hysterically laughing for hours afterwards. Leave it to me to come all this way to make a fool of myself all around the globe!

There are a million men of an undeclared-race that roam Italy and try to sell awful, pointless little toys and souvenirs. Arab, Bangladeshi, Indian, Middle Eastern… Whatever they are, they’re like a gnat at a barbeque. They’re always up in our face or hanging over our shoulder incessantly trying to sell us bouncy-balls, bubble-guns, bracelets, or umbrellas. They will stop at nothing! So, we were standing in the middle of town and Amy pulled out her sandwich and started going to town on it. All of a sudden, one of these Arabs comes creeping over her shoulder and says, “Hey Baby! Shaka-laka boom boom! You sexy!!!” Amy still had her sandwich in her mouth and was looking at him out of the corner of her eye as he was scamming on her from over her shoulder. I swatted him off and yelled, “Leave her alone!” and pulled Ames away from him. He didn’t take his eyes off of her chest the entire time he was talking. He was a slimey little man, but we all couldn’t deny how funny it was. We were all laughing so hard! I can’t count how many times we’ve quoted that guy and thrown “Shaka-laka boom boom!” into conversation wherever we can! Seriously… who says that?? What a game-winning pick-up line!

It’s late here, my sunburn is putting me to sleep, and I’m afraid to find out what Mom will do if I send another email late again, so I’m going to hurry and cut this short and bid thee farewell.

Ti voglio bene, familia!

Always,

Wit